Madrona Alexis Heart
by PurpleBoom
Summary: Madrona:mother Alexis:protector of mankind. what happens when the marauders stop being quite so oblivious,they find a 'living saint' in the form of a Hufflepuff girl. what did she do to get this title? why does she do it? Sirius Black wants to know. SB/OC


**Madrona Alexis Heart**

**the song is 'At Your Side' by the Corrs, I recommend listening to it to get the full message.**

**Disclaimer; I do not own harry potter or any of the songs I may use in this story.**

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Madrona could not be considered plump, but she was not thin either. The eleven year old girl was however, blonde haired and blue eyed. She was rather short, 4'6" and currently had a large grin on her face as she followed her father, who was pushing a luggage trolley, through the crowded train station. Her parents, Paul and Rosemary Heart were both magical, a half-blood and Muggleborn respectively, and had met at a bar in muggle London. Her father was home-schooled and her mother had been a Ravenclaw. As they drew nearer the barrier Madrona could hold in her excitement no longer, and promptly started bouncing around her parents, curls that she inherited from her father bouncing along with her.

"Madrona! Please try not to draw so much attention to yourself? We've already lost your brother in this crowd, stay close now." her mother instructed as they fought their way to the barrier.

Platform 9 ¾ was packed full of people, trunks and various animals, like usual. But her brother's tall frame and notorious dark curly hair was easy to spot.

"CHRISTOPHER ADRIAN HEART!" her mother bellowed. Chris flinched and quickly excused himself from the group of people he was talking to.

"Yes mum?" he replied when he reached his family, Rosemary Heart scowled at her eldest son.

"You're lucky I know how responsible you usually are." her mother stated, "Look out for Maddy, and try not to end up in the hospital wing more than once this year okay?"

Chris nodded and smiled at his little sister,

"C'mon sis, let's find you a compartment." the siblings hugged their parents goodbye, promising to write, and headed for the train. It wasn't long before they found a compartment with only one occupant, a rather frayed looking boy with secrets and tears a plenty, Maddy decided. He only nodded when she asked if she could sit in his compartment. Maddy thanked her brother and closed the door as he walked off. Sitting down across from the boy she held out her hand,

"Hi, I'm Madrona Heart, but call me Maddy, what's your name?" she was surprised when he took her hand with a strong but cautious grip, as if he was trying to hold himself back, and shook it slightly before letting go quickly.

"Remus Lupin, at your service." he gave a weak smile that was almost a grimace and turned to look out the window.

She got the message and pulled out a potions text, she loved cooking and potions, they were very similar and she had been doing both since she was 5 years old.

They were left alone almost for the entire train ride, when the snack lady came, Maddy noticed how Remus painstakingly counted out dozens and dozens of Knuts without a Sickle or Galleon in sight. Only to buy some chocolate and a couple of cauldron cakes. Maddy had a packed lunch, but also a little pocket money, she bought several liquorice wands and several bars of chocolate, chocolate frogs creeped her out a bit, and even the idea of some Bertie Bott flavours – eurgh.

Looking at Remus' Pitiful lunch and then her own over-packed one didn't sit right with Madrona.

"Hey Remus, you don't happen to like chicken sandwiches do you?" Maddy wrinkled her nose, how her mother had snuck those into her lunch box she hadn't a clue. Remus looked at her curiously,

"Yes...why?" he asked. Madrona passed the offending food items to him and explained about her interfering mother. After that, Remus seemed much more attentive, rather than just staring out the window. She also gave him some of the other bits and pieces that had been stuffed into her self refrigerated, magically expanded lunch box. For instance, apple and cinnamon Muffins that she and her younger brother, Thomas, had made the day before.

By the time they reached Hogsmeade, it was rather dark, and Madrona and Remus were definitely more than acquaintances, if not friends.

They followed the abnormally large man down to the boats, gasped at the beauty of Hogwarts with the other first years and ended up in a boat with two black haired wizards named Potter and Black.

A severe looking woman lead the group of first years through a relatively small door into what looked like an antechamber. She gave them a speech on what was expected of them as Hogwarts students, then left, informing them she would be back momentarily so they could be sorted.

From what Maddy could tell, there was a group that did not want to be associated with others, they stood together, away from the rest of the first years with identical snobby looks on their faces. (well...apart from the two thick set idiot looking ones)

Pureblood supremacists, Maddy surmised.

The severe woman came back quickly and lead them into the aptly named 'Great Hall' where the rest of the students and staff sat at their respective tables. Maddy caught sight of her brother and waved at him, grinning, but her attention was soon caught by the marvel of magic that was the ceiling. It was simply beautiful. The sudden silence of the hall brought her attention back and, after she got over the shock of a singing hat, she waited patiently for the sorting hat to finish it's song.

She didn't pay all that much attention to the names being called unless it was one she recognised, she passingly noted that it was odd for a Black to be sorted into Gryffindor, but when her name was called she smiled at Remus and practically bounced her way up to the stool.

**Hmm...well you are certainly a pleasant change my dear. **

Maddy started at the voice, but quickly realised it must be the hat.

**A sharp one too, but a nature such as yours would be spoiled if placed anywhere else... **"HUFFLEPUFF" the hat declared to the hall. Maddy pulled off the hat, whispering thanks and headed off to the clapping Hufflepuff table. She zoned out again until she heard Remus' name called. The hat deliberated for a few moment, it's point twitching as if dithering between two things, before announcing Gryffindor. Madrona clapped for her friend, sending him a grin, then waited for the last few students to be sorted.

The Headmaster welcomed them all to the school and said a few funny nonsense words before the food appeared and the feast began. She became fast friends with a girl by the name of Lydia Robins and they spent most of the feast giggling with each other. Part the way through the feast, Maddy got up, pulling Lydia with her, and went to the Ravenclaw table. Looking at her brother's friend was enough to make him budge up, obviously he still remembered the consequences the last time her annoyed her.

"Hiya big brother!" she greeted pulling Lydia down onto the bench with her and grabbing her brother in a side hug.

"Heya little sis!" her fifteen year old brother laughed in reply, returning the hug, "Congratulations on getting into Hufflepuff by the way."

"Thanks! Uh, this is Lydia, Lydia this is my big brother Chris."

Lydia muttered a shy 'hi' to his grin and 'nice to meet you' but it wasn't long before they had to go back t their own table, stopping to say hi to Remus and introduce her new friends to each other.

In the next few days, Madrona steadily made new friendships, her closest being Lydia, Remus, a Ravenclaw first year named Ellen and a Gryffindor first year named Xandra.

She excelled in Potions, Charms, and Transfiguration, faltered only a little at defence, but failed miserably at astronomy, history and the little she tried of them, Care of Magical Creatures and Arithmancy. As the school got to know her, she built up quite a reputation. She was almost always friendly, and liked everyone unless they gave her a reason to dislike them. She was the mother hen and protective lioness of Hufflepuff. A few unfortunate Slytherins picked on her younger brother when he arrived in Hogwarts during her third year, the yelling and trip to the hospital wing they received put off anyone else who thought they could bully the young Gryffindor.

In her fifth year, she was made prefect. The 'best choice' many agreed. That's when the real fun started.

Madrona was pushing a trolley through the crowded station, Mother, Father and younger brother (who also had a trolley) beside her.

"We're gonna be late, we're gonna be late, we're gonna be late." her brother chanted as they rushed through the crowds.

"Hush Thomas," their mother said sharply "We will NOT be late!"

When they reached the barrier it was 10:53. they managed to quickly get on the train and say goodbye to their parents before the whistle blew and the train began to move.

"Okay Thomas, you are sitting with your friends right?" her brother nodded, looking fidgety just standing there. Maddy smiled, "Go." she urged, the little third year grinned at her and sped of as fast as he could with his wheeled trunk. Maddy went off to find her own friends, before leaving Lydia and Xandra to go to the Prefect meeting in the first carriage with Ellen.

The prefects for Gryffindor were Frank Longbottom and Lily Evans, Hufflepuff's were Madrona and a thin, light brown haired muggle born named Travis Jones, for Ravenclaw it was Ellen and a short, plump half-blood by the name of John Yates and the new Slytherin prefects were, of course, scary-looking Pureblood snobs, simply called Yakesly and Carrow by everyone.

Their instructions from the Head Boy and Girl were simple, they were all given time slots to patrol the train, and a rough guide for at school, another meeting would be held a few days into term to concrete things.

Maddy's partner for the train patrols ended up being Lily Evans, while Ellen was paired up with a seventh year Ravenclaw boy. Ellen's patrol stated immediately, but Maddy and Lily's wasn't for another hour so Maddy invited Lily back to the compartment where she knew here friends were. Lily accepted with a smile and they headed down the train.

Lily was amazed at how many people Madrona knew, of course she knew about Madrona, and had met her a few times briefly, but she was unaware of the scale of people that she knew by name and was friendly with. The younger ones especially seemed to love and respect her. When Madrona was nearly bowled over by three overeager second years, she simply laughed and greeted them, asking how certain members of their family were. Any other person, Lily thought, would have been angry at the twelve year olds. Then when they started babbling about needing her help, all at once mind, she only nodded and waited patiently for them to finish their tale. Lily herself only caught a few words; sister, crying, won't stop, don't, while Madrona seemed to be able to understand all of it.

When the children stopped talking, Madrona simply asked them to show her where the girls was. Lily followed out of curiosity. When they reached the correct compartment, Madrona slid the door open carefully, trying not to slam it, and walked into the compartment. A young girl was curled up in the corner bawling her eyes out. Lily watched as Madrona approached using very slow movements and knelt down before the girl, Lily listened as the fifth year Hufflepuff began to speak softly to the girl;

"Hey now, is this anyway to be spending your first train ride to Hogwarts? I'm Maddy, what's your name?" she asked, with a warm smile on her face. There must be something about her that children love, because not minutes after arriving in the compartment, Maddy had calmed the girl down enough that she could speak clearly, if still a little sniffily. Apparently, the girl missed her parents already, and had many worries about Hogwarts. One of the second years that had come to get Madrona suggested they sing 'the song'. Lily was yet again baffled, even more so when Madrona agreed and brought out a shrunken acoustic guitar, a spell and a little tuning later they began, Guitar now back to proper size. The other children all began making various drumbeats on their legs, that seemed to go together, as Madrona began to strum her guitar,

"When the daylight's gone, and you're on your own,  
And you need a friend, just to be around,  
I will comfort you, I will take your hand.  
And I'll pull you through, I will understand," Madrona sang, the others joined in with the singing in various parts, and more and more children started packing into the hallway, trying to listen, as if they were called y some magical force. The song continued and the little girl perked up even more as the song went on. By the time the final words; I'll be at your side, the girl was smiling widely and looking like the happiest little girl in the world, to Lily' mind. The children who had crowded round the open compartment door in the corridor cheered, Madrona laughed and asked if they had enjoyed it, they did apparently. Lily could quite easily say it was one of the oddest yet heart-warming moments in her life.

Lily and the children however, were not the only ones to have heard the song, in fact in only the next compartment to the left, were four boys.

"Well...that was certainly interesting." commented the one wearing glasses. The others laughed, but one of them a thin, relatively tall boy by the name of Remus Lupin shifted slightly uncomfortably.

The other black haired boy, one Sirius Black, narrowed his eyes at his friend.

"Do you know what all that was about Moony?" he asked, the other two boys also fixed their attention on Remus.

"Yes Remus, do enlighten us poor folk who do not know the origin or precedence of the angelic voice." added James Potter, the one with the glasses.

"Um... well it sounded like Maddy." at the blank looks of the others he elaborated, "You know, Madrona Heart, 5th year Hufflepuff, my first friend at Hogwarts, she put some 4th year Slytherins in the hospital wing when we were in third year..." he trailed off when he knew they knew who he was talking about.

"Oh! Her! But that still doesn't answer why she was singing that, or why all the younger kids were cheering." James still looked confused as he said this.

Remus explained how she had taken most of the lower school under her wing, and how she treated and cared for them, including singing and teaching them song for when their friends were upset, to cheer each other up. He explained how she had probably come across a younger student who was upset and tried to help. He also commented on how oblivious they were to not even know _some _of what he was telling them.

Sirius Black was fascinated. Having never grown up in a loving atmosphere, he couldn't fathom why or how this girl did the things she did. But he was going to find out.  
**_**

**There we are, chapter 1 is finito, what did you think?**

**Also, I need suggestions of songs that could be lullabies or something along the lines of 'I'll protect you' or 'don't worry everything will be OK'**

**Review please :D**


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